The ramen craze in Singapore is not over, yet. Newly opened Menya Musashi has seen never ending queues since it opened its doors early this year.

Red Cha Shu Ramen

White Cha Shu Ramen

Black Tsukemen

There were basically 2 categories of ramen we can choose from – the Tsukemen ($14.90) version which is a dipping ramen and the typical soup ($12.90) based ramen. For each category, there was a further choice of white, black and red broth.

Given its red colour, the Red Cha Shu Ramen was expected to be on the spicy side. The additional spicy notes reduced the characteristic pork taste in the broth and was more exciting and flavourful compared to the white version. Though the white version was equally rich and thick, it could get a little monotonous with each mouthful. The ramen had an adequate bite to it, and wasn’t too soggy or soft. We did feel that the egg could be a little more runny as it seemed to be a little too overcooked. The winner of the ramen was definitely the cha shu. The cha shu had a slightly charred skin and a mild grilled/burnt fragrance to it. There was an adequate balance of fats and meat. The fatty parts were soft and melted in our mouths, while the meaty portions were tender and not overly tough.

This was also the first time we tried the Tsukemen dipping ramen. The ramen was served dry, alongside the bowl of broth. The accompanying broth was thicker and richer than the soup versions. In fact, it was also much saltier, hence could not be consumed like a soup, and was restricted to solely being a dip for the noodles.

Ippudo Maze Soba – Ramen served without soup. The noodle goes with original sauce “Japanese Style Dry Ramen”. Thick and chewy noodles, mixed with Ippudo’s original sauce, topped with dried chashu pork, black fungus, Japanese leeks, bamboo shoots, half boiled egg (Onsen Tamago) and shred seaweeds. One of the main components of Japanese ramen is its soup. Typically, most of the soup broths are pork-based. And for those that dislike the taste of pork, they shun at the sight and smell of the thick flavourful pork-based broth. But thankfully at Ippudo Tao, they have the Ippudo Maze Soba aka dry ramen!

The ramen was springy and chewy. The dried noodles added crunchiness to the dish. The Ippudo sauce was rich and savoury, but yet not overly salty. There was a rather strong taste of black pepper, which most probably overshadowed any pork taste. In Ippudo Tao, every table was provided with a range of condiments/sauces like white and black vinegar, white and black pepper, sesame seeds etc. In addition, we were given fresh garlic cloves and a tool to mince the garlic. Adding the white vinegar and fresh garlic further accentuate the taste of the ramen. The pork cubes were tender and well flavoured as well.

One thing to note is that the Ippudo Maze Soba is a seasonal special. Do give it a try before the offer is over!!

Tao Kuro Tamago

Tao Kuro Tamago – Thick chewy noodles served in Shoyu Tonkotsu broth, topped with Bara Chashu (pork belly), flavoured black fungus, spring onion, umami-dama (special blended miso paste) and fragrant garlic oil, with a flavoured egg. The noodles were cooked al dente! The chewy and springy noodles had thoroughly soaked up the flavours of the soup. The soup itself was very rich in flavours, such that I got a little overwhelmed by the saltiness towards the end. The pork belly was an absolute delight! Different from the dry ramen, the pork belly came in slices rather than cubes. The fatty parts melted in your mouths while the meaty parts were soft and tender. The ramen egg was done perfectly. It had the right adequate texture – using the chopsticks to pick up the egg and exert a little force resulted in the egg breaking into 2. The egg yolk itself was semi-cooked and simply flowed down our throats.

Ippudo Pan Fried Gyoza

Ippudo Pan Fried Gyoza – Ippudo’s original pan fried chicken dumplings. The gyoza were pretty mediocre, they did not have the charred outer surface which we enjoyed. Rather, they tasted more like steamed dumplings. The slightly crispy skin attached to the dumplings did not add much value to the dish as well.

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We do not aim to promote or discredit any restaurants/food places. This blog is solely an avenue to voice our personal and humble opinions of our food escapades. In no way can any content from our blog be used without our consent.